Spanking was discipline: Catholic brother

Date: February 20 2013

Joel Cresswell

A former Catholic brother spanked the bare backsides of students for his own sexual gratification and not to discipline them as he claims, a judge says.

The former brother, Edward Mamo, admits he took five boarding students to the school's laundry where he ordered them to remove their pants and bend over a chest before he struck them with a leather strap.

Mamo would often touch himself and make comments to the students while hitting them, the Victorian County Court heard.

But Mamo's lawyer Peta Murphy said her client maintained that there was an element of discipline in his actions.

"While there was some sexual element, his motive, in his mind at the the time, was discipline," she told the court.

Judge Julian Leckie rejected that possibility.

"He used that as a guise to indulge a sexual interest," he said.

"When he was hitting these boys he was getting some sexual gratification from that."

Mamo has pleaded guilty to seven counts of indecent assault on seven schoolboys at Monivae College in Hamilton between 1976 and 1980.

In addition to the spankings, Mamo seductively massaged the chest of one student and fondled the genitals of another while wrestling with him on a school bus.

Ms Murphy said Mamo, now 68, had not reoffended in the 30-odd years since his crimes.

She said a psychologist report had not classified him as a pedophile and rated him as a low risk of reoffending.

Ms Murphy said a suspended prison term was within the sentencing range.

But prosecutor Kieran Gilligan said Mamo had perpetrated a gross breach of trust and called for a minimum of 18 months in jail.

"There was a certain element of vulnerability to the victims, this was the cynical exploitation of them for his sexual gratification," he said.

Judge Leckie will sentence Mamo, of Sydney, on Friday.

This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited.